I-10 widening project to be completed in 2015

Traffic for Eastsiders and other motorists traveling westbound on Interstate 10 may be a nightmare now, but summer 2015 is shaping up to be the light at the end of a long and painfully congested tunnel.

Part of a $25 million project by the Texas Department of Transportation, the upgrades on I-10 will include the construction of braided ramps and the widening of east and westbound main lanes — from two to three lanes in each direction, according to a press release by the transportation department. The braided ramp is an on-and-off ramp that will be on the Zaragoza Road exit.

"The project will add a lane in each direction on I-10 from Americas Avenue to Zaragoza Road, improve the frontage roads, and provide upgraded access to and egress from I-10 via the braided ramp.

"When completed, these improvements will not only provide added capacity but improve safety on both I-10 and the gateways," Bob Bielek, the El Paso district engineer for TxDOT, said in an email.

The widening project will also include landscaping, illumination, frontage road reconstruction in both directions and the opening of the westbound Zaragoza exit.

Nailea Fernandez, an East Side resident, said she loved the idea of more lanes but was frustrated that the Zaragoza exit ramp was closed.

"Construction is too slow," Fernandez added.

When Abraham Tercero heard about the project, he was quick to rejoice.

"That's awesome. There's too many people that drive too slow. It's about time," he said.

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Another El Pasoan who welcomed the news was Randy Johnson. A Northeast resident, Johnson said he makes daily trips to visit family in Socorro.

"This is going to mean a lot more room to drive especially in the morning when you get bombarded with traffic," Johnson said.

The Northeast resident also added that more lanes means a potentially safer highway. Johnson said that with the ongoing construction and fewer lanes available, accidents tend to be more troublesome for flowing traffic.

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